


Kismet Colored

by MerelyMeLafia



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: A touch of smut in later chapters, Absolute fluff, AkuRoku Day, Angsty backstory because can, Axel is still a badass sweetheart, Fantasy, Ghosts, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I love banter way too much, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, LGBTQ friendly world, M/M, Mediums, Modern AU, Multidimensional Roxas please and thank you, Oh God Roxas can't flirt, Red String of Fate, Soulmates, This probably should never have seen the light of day, Twins being bros, questioning destiny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-15 06:11:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11800062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerelyMeLafia/pseuds/MerelyMeLafia
Summary: Descended from a powerful bloodline, Roxas can see the Red String of Fate which binds souls together. However, instead of possessing the ability to create bonds like his twin, Sora; Roxas wields the power to destroy them. Outcast and feared, Roxas spends most of his life in isolation, trapped beneath Sora's shadow. Until one day, he receives a request from an old family friend whose son Roxas might have the power to save.Happy Akuroku Day 2017!~Updates on Sundays~Main Akuroku, implied Soriku, which has its own story.





	1. Mind

The bed shifted, dipping down beside Roxas’s legs and progressing upwards towards his arms. The soft rustling of clothes drew his attention enough to crack one eye open – making out a silhouette in the pre-dawn blue of the morning laying itself down next to him. Quietly, as if not wanting to disturb him.

Roxas quickly pantomimed sleep once more, the sensation of foreign heat hovering between him and his bedroom invader. There was no way in hell he was letting Sora wake him up at stupid-o’-clock in the morning for one of his talks again. He was done – absolutely and 100% over it. Physically, emotionally, and every other ‘-lly’ his brain could summon up.

There was never any kind of resolution to these conversations; no answers – only a mounting pile of conjecture and questions. Which cemented six years of this routine as a permanent fixture in Roxas’s slice of life, God bless Sora’s verbal-processing soul.

Slowly, the wheels in Roxas’s brain began to turn with memories, fueled by his frustration. If he could have glared at his mind he would have; feeling the sweet haze of sleep clear from his mind. God damn it.

As if sensing the change as well, the figure nestled closer – the brush of soft spikes against Roxas’s forehead tickling ever so slightly. “Hey.” Came the verbal nudge, barely a whisper.

Irritation prickled across the blond’s nerves as he let out an unintelligible grumble, keeping his eyes firmly shut. He didn’t want to talk. He wasn’t _good_ at talking. Why did Sora always go to him of all people? Why couldn’t he just text someone like Kairi or freaking _Namine_ , who would _love_ to pick his brain? Being a twin was a curse sometimes.

“I had that dream again.” Sora continued softly, absolutely ignoring his brother’s lack of interest.

Silence. That was the best way to get him to go away and get back to sleep, Roxas determined.

“I wonder what it means?” Sora pressed on. “It started out sort of the same as it always does. We’re together on that island, just talking – he told me about the dreams of dolphins this time.”

Roxas could hear the smile in his brother’s voice as Sora paused.

“They dream in sounds and colors and emotions, but not in the same way you or I would with images. It was all like… like oil paintings in the rain or those kaleidoscope viewers we had as kids… watching pinwheels in the wind. But not just seeing it. It was feeling the rotations with your skin, understanding the meaning behind each color. There was so much _understanding,_ Rox. I just felt like I _knew_ things like it was obvious even though they don’t make any sense now. It was so _nice_ and simple. And when I looked down, he was holding my hand and it felt the same. He’s just so… peaceful. Warm.” Sora finished with a sigh, wrapped up in a cloud of daydreams that Roxas could physically feel smothering him.

Resignedly, Roxas unburied his face from his pillow and peered at his twin. “Yeah?” He prompted tiredly, pushing his bangs out of his eyes.

The sky was a little lighter now, illuminating the edges of Sora’s face. His eyes were soft, mouth lopsided in a smitten grin that he probably didn’t realize he was making. God, his brother had it bad. For a dream-guy no less… Literally.

“I can still feel his hand, Roxas. I think maybe he was trying to tell me something.” The brunette confessed as if there were some sort of secret contained within the sentence. Which, despite his reservations at being woken up at such an hour, struck Roxas as hilarious. The only person who thought his infatuation was a secret was Sora, himself. Everyone knew Sora was head-over-heels for someone, even if they didn’t know who.

Roxas snorted. “Just admit you’re projecting and want him to confess his undying love for you.” He didn’t need light to know that Sora had gone bright red.

“I-I’m not projecting!” He protested quickly, drawing his hand up to his chest to hold it protectively. To guard the place where his string _would_ be if only either of them could see it.

“Mmm..” The blond hummed, yawning as he took his brother’s hand in his own, tracing Sora’s pinky with gentle strokes. “So,” He murmured, feeling nothing there – just as he had the last one hundred times he’d checked, “when are you going to tell mom and dad that your soulmate only exists in REM?” 

“Rox!” Sora exclaimed, shoving him away flusteredly and ending up shoving part of the comforter into his brother’s face.

“It’s true!” Roxas teased, shoving it back as his body began to wake up at the prospect of a challenge, the gears of his consciousness clicking into place.

Sora flipped himself over, propping himself up with his elbows as he gave his twin a look. “Oh, _right_. What would I say? ‘Hey, dad – I’ve been having dreams about this guy for forever and I think my string’s connected to his even though as far as I know, he doesn’t exist in reality? Sorry, mom; I know you wanted grandkids but the person I like is a guy and, oh yeah – you’ll probably think he’s a figment of my imagination?’”

Roxas grinned up at him. “Sounds good to me.”

Sora gawfed and shoved Roxas’s spare pillow into his face. “You’re no help.” He complained.

The blond sprung into action and leapt blindly towards his brother’s location, tackling him in a tangle of sheets as the pillow fell away. “Says the guy who woke me up!” Roxas taunted, straddling his twin as Sora tried to twist away – the brunette’s hand darting out for a weapon even as a grin lit up his face. 

“I make your life interesting!” Sora protested with a yelp as Roxas smacked a pillow into his face admonishingly.

“You make it loud!” _Whack._

“Lazy!” Sora defended, snatching the other pillow and beating it against his brother in turn.

“Annoying!” _Whack._

“Mean!” _Whack._

“Stubborn!” _Whack._

“Pessimist!” _Whack._

“Overzealous cupcake!” _Whack!_

“ _What_?!” Sora demanded, choking on a laugh as his eyes lit up with delight. “What the heck is that, you Chocobo-styling fishbowl!” He stuffed the pillow into Roxas’s face with renewed vigor.

Roxas gave an offended cry, batting it away. “Leave my hair out of this, you great sunbathing gremlin!”

_Whack! Whack! Whack!_

Sora stuck his tongue out at him for a split second before warding off another blow to the face. “Don’t be jealous you Pale-faced potato!” He shot back, grinningly wildly.

_Whack!_

“We have the same face, you uneducated Troglodyte!” Roxas laughed, about to deliver another smack to his twin when Sora bucked him off, sending them tumbling off the bed and onto the floor with a resounding, _Thud!_

The world was silent for a few seconds as both boys froze, ears straining to hear the sound of their parent’s footsteps coming down the hall to scold them and dole out some punishment. Yet several more moments of hushed breathing passed… and nothing. They let out a collective sigh of relief.

 _Oh God, how he hated hardwood in bedrooms_ , Roxas thought miserably as he rolled away from Sora with a wince, rubbing the back of his skull. And mornings. Ugh.

He glanced down at his brother who had elected to remain sprawled on the ground, staring up at the ceiling in apparent contentedness.

“Oi. Dreamscape.” Roxas called, nudging him with his leg unceremoniously. “You’re gonna meet him one day.” He said with as brotherly a smile as he could muster. Sora didn’t do well with deep-thinking, he’d come to learn. Nevertheless, things always tended to work themselves out one way or the other. And no matter how strange this situation was… he had to believe that this whole debacle would follow suit. Eventually.

Sora rolled his head to the side to regard Roxas thoughtfully. “You will, too, one day.” He nudged back with a smile.

“You know I’m morally obligated to complain about how gross the two of you will be from the sounds of him, right?” Roxas couldn’t help but tease, smirking as the sun finally began to crest over the hills and bask his room in a soft glow.

“Not him,” Sora argued with a shake of his head. “I mean _your_ soulmate. I know you don’t believe they exist but I just _know_ that’s not true. There’s someone out there who’s perfect for you, Rox. _I know it.”_ The brunette said, a strange amount of conviction in his tone.

The mood shifted immediately as Roxas’s smirk faded into a tired, placating, half-smile. The sort that was full of condolences and half-truths and never meant to be anything more than surface pretenses for other’s sakes. “Yeah.” He said hollowly. “You’re right.”

He could see that Sora knew what he was doing, but didn’t know how to call him out on it without making Roxas distance himself even more. He knew he was a frustrating person. He knew he did this to himself and placed everyone else within very careful boundaries… and then punished them if they tried to get closer – especially when it was ‘for his own good.’

It wasn’t fair; he knew that. But it was safe. Defined. Predictable. Forcing those around him to dance on eggshells had simply become a facet of his personality he didn’t know how to shut off. Sometimes he outright relied on it. It gave him an escape from the creeping void he could feel swallowing his thoughts at night. The loneliness. The questions.

Roxas let out a sigh. He didn’t _want_ any more questions in his life; didn’t want to deal with any of this. So he picked himself up off the floor with a grunt, stretching his arms over his head till he heard his back pop. “Eggs Benedict?” He asked, raising a brow.

“Pancakes.” Sora responded defiantly from the floor as if his current position was an active form of protest.

“French Toast.” Roxas countered with narrowed eyes.

“Waffles.” Sora argued.

“Waffles with strawberries and cream.” Roxas held out his hand.

Heaving a great sigh, Sora puffed his bangs out of his eyes and took the truce, clambering to his feet with great theatrics. “Why must you make everything so complicated?” He groaned with mock annoyance.

“Comes with the package. I was on a buy-one, get-one free deal with Mad Skills and Complexity. You’ll learn to appreciate my genius one day.”

“Fiiiiine.” Sora sang, his expression brightening once again as he skipped playfully to the door. “But I want blueberries!” He demanded before bolting down the hall and thundering downstairs like it was some sort of race.

Somewhere further down the hall a door shut – signaling parental movements.

He huffed in pretend exasperation even though there was no one there to appreciate such dramatics. Leave it to Sora to go and wake their parents up at the last second.

_Of course._

Rolling his eyes, Roxas grabbed his cell phone and strode after his brother.

Portraits cluttered up the hallway walls in straight lines, like a museum of unnatural history. The stoic faces of acrylics eventually gave way to colorless photography, then candid Polaroid’s in washed out sepias. And finally, most recently, at the end of a series of brightly colored pictures, his and his brother's.

They were seated formally in their family’s shrine for tradition’s sake, dressed in garish ceremonial robes with their palms on their knees. Sora’s goofy 13-year old grin beamed at the camera; thrilled to carry on the proud Cetra bloodline beside his brother. But Roxas couldn’t bring himself to smile that day. Sometimes he still didn’t know how to feel about it.

A wave of annoyance washed through him. That was a lie. He knew exactly how he felt about it. Why did he bother lying to _himself_ of all people? Unimpressed with his own train of thoughts, Roxas pushed away the memories and continued downstairs, habitually avoiding the squeaky points in the old staircase. Not that it mattered now.

Sora was already hovering over his tablet, scrolling through their schedule as his leg jogged restlessly against the floor. “There’s a couple coming from Radiant Garden today.” He informed cheerfully, never once lifting his eyes from the device.

Roxas hummed noncommittally as he pulled open the refrigerator door and began rummaging inside for ingredients – inspecting the blueberries critically before loading up on his chosen items.

“Aww! Says they’ve been together for 6 years already and they just want to go the extra mile! That’s so sweet…” Sora cooed, smiling happily.

“You want blueberries in the pancakes or as a reduction?” The blond asked, holding up a saucepan pointedly.

Sora blinked up at him several times before looking humorously confused as his eyes narrowed and his mouth popped open in silent query. “Uh…”

“Syrup.” His brother elaborated, waiting.

“Hey! You should do chocolate chips! The mini ones!” Sora suddenly cheered.

“As a syrup?” Roxas demanded indignantly , raising his brows.

The idea only seemed to thrill Sora more.

“Both! I want them inside _and_ as a chocolate syrup! Oh my God, I need it Rox. Please.” He begged, smacking his hands down on the counter dramatically. “I’m wasting away here.”

“Sora, anybody who makes _that_ much noise going down the stairs couldn't possibly be wasting away.” Roxas corrected, amused. “You’re a freaking elephant.”

Sora groaned and slumped forward, his arms fully extended across the counter now. “Rooooox…” He began to moan when a musical _Ding!_ interrupted his protest. Straightening with interest, Sora turned his gaze to the tablet in front of him, his eyes going a bit wide. “Rox,” he said more softly than before. “it’s for you.”

Before Roxas could respond, a shuffling from the staircase drew the twins’s attention as they watched their father meander towards them. “I heard something about elephants?” He mumbled, looking mostly towards Roxas for clarification, who simply pointed to Sora as explanation.

The brunette put on his best cheesetastic grin, beaming unapologetically up at the man who he’d woken up.

Cloud grunted in understanding and began scooping coffee beans into the grinder methodically.

Roxas admired that about his dad – he was never one for unnecessary chatter, and he didn’t mince words when he did speak. But most importantly, he let Sora and Roxas be themselves without judgment. For the most part.

“Dad,” Sora called, turning his tablet around for the other two to see. “Roxas got a request.” He hopped off the barstool and came around to the other side to stand beside his twin. “It’s on our private line.”

Cloud’s brows furrowed deeply as he turned on the monstrously loud grinder and strode over, opening the request as Roxas hovered beside him, intrigued to read along as well.

And he would have; if it weren’t written in some bizarre language that made absolutely no sense.

Roxas frowned at the nonsensical arrangement of symbols, trying to detect patterns and unravel its meaning, but the only thing he could recognize was the little golden tag at the top that marked it as Roxas’s. Even the sender’s identity was unintelligible. He glanced at Sora who shrugged helplessly, then waited for their dad to shed some light on the mysterious thing.

Why code? Was something wrong? The blond might have suspected his grandparents, considering their obsession with ancient traditions and honoring historical nonsense. But why use it to put in a request for him when they could just call? Or message Roxas personally?

He shoved his hands into his pockets, lips drawing into a thin line as his mind drifted. Maybe using the phone was beneath his relatives now. It honestly wouldn’t surprise him.

After a few more minutes, Cloud took a deep breath and tapped to reply; starting his response in another bizarre set of symbols as he spoke, “It’s from Reno-”

“Your ghost buddy?” Sora interrupted, intrigued, somehow able to recall such an obscure name in an instant. It impressed Roxas a little bit every time. Sora had an unbelievable memory for people’s names and faces.

Cloud nodded, still typing away as the grinder shut off. “Apparently his son has attracted the attention of powerful spirit. Its tethered onto his string and they can’t exorcise it without harming Axel. They’re hoping you can help, Roxas.”

Something vague conjured itself in Roxas’s mind at the name, but he couldn’t place it. It didn’t really matter though. He’d be going into work for the first time in ages. However much he resented his abilities, he looked forward to the change of pace from staying at home and idling his time.

Roxas didn’t like being the shadow. The _other_ twin. Swept under a rug or stowed away in a dark corner like some shameful thing. He’d had enough of being treated _less_ simply because fate had decided to deal him a hateful hand.

“It’s across town.” Cloud continued, pulling up Google Maps and typing in an address Roxas didn’t recognize. “You’ll have to take-”

“Fenrir?” Roxas interrupted, looking exceptionally hopeful.

His father sighed deeply. “The bus?” he corrected, giving his blond son a look before turning his attention back to the screen.

Roxas deflated a bit, but it wasn’t all that unexpected. His mom would probably ground him till he was 30 if he took his dad’s motorcycle anywhere simply by virtue of being ‘the baby’. He mumbled a complaint under his breath as he resumed preparations for breakfast.

Roxas was definitely vetoing the 'choclify everything' route Sora obviously craved. Even for him, there was a limit to how much he was willing to bend to Sora’s whims. His spacecase brother was getting blueberries whether he wanted them or not. He could throw on whatever weird toppings he wanted later.

“Can Axel see ghosts, too?” Sora interrogated, hopping onto the counter and swinging his legs back and forth.

Cloud hummed in affirmation, not pausing in his typing.

“That’s so cool! I wish I could see ghosts! Think of how cool it’d be to meet people from all different time periods and be able to ask them questions and stuff. Or go on missions to find things and deliver final messages so they can move on! Or, like, when mansions get all creepy and haunted with bad ghosts I could be like, ‘ _Who you gonna call_?’” Sora sang excitedly, waving cheeky finger-guns at his twin.

Rolling his eyes, Roxas whisked together the batter as his skillet came to temperature. “On that note, let us all be grateful that you can’t see ghosts, Sor.”

However, Sora was in too good a mood to be daunted. “Maybe Axel needs a sidekick?” He suggested, grinning widely.

“Most unhelpful sidekick who ever lived, maybe.” Roxas snorted.

“That’s not true! I bet I could-” Sora gasped suddenly, “Hey! What if I could tie the strings of ghosts and help them find love, too?! They could spend eternity together!” His voice pitched upwards several octaves in delight – eyes wide and gleaming at the prospect.

“I… think that would cause more problems than it’d help.” Roxas muttered dubiously as he poured the first batch of blueberry pancakes onto the griddle.

“ _True love_ , Rox! Augh! If only I could see ghosts!” the brunette cried dramatically, flailing in place for effect.

Roxas kept his mouth shut, watching the corners of the batter begin to bubble faintly. It was no use telling his twin that concepts like ‘true love’ weren’t real. Not to mention love, itself, was little more than chemicals and fate bubbling over into a reaction.

To be honest, it felt like something that was _meant_ to be out of humanity’s hands. Messing with it like Sora did… Roxas couldn’t help but feel like his brother was asking for trouble. Disappointment. Heartache, even.

He flipped the pancakes over as his father handed the tablet back to Sora. “I texted you their address and let them know you’re coming.” Cloud informed Roxas, pouring himself a mug of black tar masquerading as coffee. “Do what you have to while you’re there; take as much time as you need. But if you can’t separate them with the string, be upfront about it.” He counseled. “This sounds pretty serious. Reno’s a good friend of the family so I expect you to be on your best behavior.”

Roxas felt his father’s eyes staring into the back of his head and mumbled an acknowledgement. He knew he was one person when he was at home with Sora, and a different person when he was out on his own in the world; and unfortunately his family knew it.

Being a ‘problem child’ had started from a frighteningly young age. When he’d hurt the people closest to him.

_He couldn’t help seeing._

There were strings everywhere.

Lax, taut, broken, braided, corded, twisted; red, red strings caught in an invisible wind. Some smelled like leather and others like citrus, while flowers blossomed on some and bells hung off others. Different. All of them unique and fascinating.

He’d only wanted to touch them. To play with one. And no string had looked more beautiful to Roxas than his parent’s.

It had been a simple string in comparison to others he’d sometimes see while he was out with his family: Thin, with five small cords twisting together. It gave off the scent of summer in the ethereal breeze that Roxas never understood. And it felt like home.

He loved hooking it between his fingers as he sat between his parents, pretending to make patterns with it between his hands. Cats Cradle, his mother had once called it.

His parents hadn’t known what he was. They’d assumed he was just like Sora; a Cetra miracle. If they’d known, Roxas doubted they would have let him near them.

And all too easily, just like that – it happened.

Roxas untied their father’s string, simply wanting more to play with. And in that horrible moment, everything changed.

Like a gun had gone off, his father had launched to his feet – staring at his mother with horror etched across his face. In the same moment, his mother started wailing as she snatched at the bits of string still tangled between Roxas’s fingers.

Her desperation terrified him as she threw herself beside his father, frantically working to tie the string back on – her sobs a frantic jumble of denial. But no matter how she tried, how dedicatedly she worked, the string would not reattach.

And then it shrank. Limp and lifeless as it retracted towards his mother like a shriveling thing till it was nothing more than a broken keepsake. Not a tether. Not the artery of fate.

Just a shred of something that could never be replaced.

He’d lost his parents that day. And he’d lost his identity along with them.

Roxas had watched his father, who couldn’t see the string, fall out of love with his mother. And his mother descend into a sorrow that didn’t leave her eyes. They’d stayed together for his and Sora’s sakes, but it was a strange sham of a thing. Not separated, yet thoroughly divorced. The memories of caring for one another overshadowed by a disconnect that couldn’t be breached.

It was hard to justify notions like ‘True Love’ when hearts could so easily be broken.

Roxas all but shoved a fresh plateful of pancakes over to Sora who let out a victorious, _whoop!_ before gathering up topping items. Namely butter, whipped cream, various syrups, and chocolate chips.

How his twin wasn’t the _size_ of an elephant by now, Roxas was couldn't fathom.

In either case, ever since that day, he’d no longer been a Cetra miracle. That much… he supposed he could understand. He hated himself, too, for what he’d done. But instead of being a target for blame he’d simply become invisible. The family didn’t talk about him at gatherings. He was no longer allowed to serve in their family’s shrine. No one contacted him or came to visit. His punishment, if it could even be called that, was to be left alone. Not for what he’d done, but for who he was.

The treatment had confused him at first; then it had been a relief that no one hated him. He’d even been grateful! Eager to endear himself to his family once more.

It didn’t take long to recognize that no one would come close to him any longer.

So he distanced himself from them so they wouldn’t have to.

Then they would speak only to Sora.

So Roxas hid in order not to interrupt the good mood.

And all too soon he realized that no one knew him. And perhaps worse; no one cared to.

He knew his power wasn’t supposed to exist. That the last time it had cropped up in their family’s history it had wreaked havoc as well. The Red String was supposed to be unbreakable. Eternal. Tethering souls through multiple lifetimes. And yet here he was.

He’d lost himself in his attempts to be good – to be whatever they wanted from him. Having his best intentions backfire, his hopes and longing, watching everyone but Sora drift away... it created a great rift between Roxas and the rest of the world. And the more it hurt him, the farther he pushed people away.

Roxas served up the last of the pancakes, grabbing a couple for himself in a napkin as he tromped back upstairs to get dressed.

It didn’t seem like a formal summons… and he didn’t exactly feel like putting on the ridiculously ceremonial robes his family preferred at gatherings. Especially not when he was riding the bus. He rifled through his closet a bit before giving up and grabbing one of his comfiest outfits. While strangely fashionable, it usually did the job of warding off unnecessary conversations with its punk, checkered vibe. But what made it his favorite were the layers – their weight and warmth gave him the feeling of security. Hidden away while obviously being seen. Like armor.

Shrugging them on between bites of breakfast, Roxas spared himself a glance in the mirror. The rays of dawn turning the tufts of his hair into a pale halo.

What… would they see when they saw him? A cursed Cetra? Would they keep him at arm’s distance like his family? Part of him wondered how much they knew about him since they’d obviously requested him for his abilities. If he could make this right… if he could help whats-his-face… maybe his family would begin treating him differently.

His eyes suddenly narrowed into a sharp glare at himself. What did he care? It wasn’t like he was trying to win them over anymore. It was stupid.

Shoving his feet into his shoes, Roxas strode downstairs once more, grabbing his skateboard from the closet as he went. “See ya!” He called unceremoniously as he unlocked the door.

“Keep us updated!” Cloud called back just before the door slammed shut.

Tossing his skateboard out in front of him, Roxas put in his earbuds and sped down the sidewalk without glancing back.

 

* * *

 

 

An hour later, the blond stepped off a worn looking greyhound bus, holding his skateboard at his side. It was an old neighborhood filled with modest brick houses and manicured yards, each side of the road flanked by old trees casting shade.

He scrunched his nose as he checked Google Maps once more just to be sure. Yup. This was definitely the place.

Weird.

Taking in a breath, Roxas proceeded to skate his way down the next few blocks, even further into the community. He supposed he’d been expecting some Victorian mansion or haunted house. Or perhaps some sort of gated off shrine like his own family possessed. Not a… He glanced around as the wind whipped his bangs out of his eyes... _retirement community._ Maybe the ghost-business wasn’t anything like what he’d previously thought?

Roxas couldn’t help but grin slightly. Sora would be so disappointed.

A small jingle sang cheerily from his phone as he rounded the corner, indicating that he’d arrived at his destination, as a true mansion loomed from seemingly out of nowhere – forcing Roxas to a halt.

It was almost church-like in shape with a tall steeple in the center and spires at the corner. The circular window at the top was stained glass, and were those cast iron gates…? Roxas shook his head, bewildered. One moment it was looking like a cathedral and the next a mortuary. Of course, it was hard to come to any conclusions at this distance with the 10ft stone fence blocking most of his view. He couldn’t help but wonder how such a house had stayed hidden from sight for so long.

“Right.” He breathed to himself, swallowing as he picked up his skateboard and walked the rest of the way with as much ‘proper composure’ as he could manage. The gates were even larger than he’d expected up close and he could now see a topiary garden lining the path to the door within.

Glancing around, he couldn’t find any sort of call button. There wasn’t even a mailbox! Unsure of what to do, Roxas gently pressed against the iron and to his surprise, it gave way without so much as a creak. Was this trespassing? He checked his phone once more, making a face. This was definitely the place but…

He stepped inside with a bit of reluctance, surveying the yard suspiciously. Something felt _off._

“Yo! Blondie!” A voice called out, startling Roxas out of his thoughts.

He whirled to see a lanky figure leaning up against the stone wall, watching him with a cat-like grin. More than his devilish expression, however, the jutting red spikes that served as his hair distracted Roxas even more.

“Yo?” Roxas questioned, frowning for good measure. Some sort of groundskeeper? 

The man waved his hand dismissively. “You get around my dad too much and some things just rub off. You must be the kid who cuts strings.” He announced, standing up straight.

The blond squared off with him, placing one hand on his hip as he quickly took hold of the situation. “And you must be the son who’s possessed by a ghost.” He countered.

“The name’s Axel.” The tall figure introduced, pointing to his temple in a manner that seemed vaguely threatening. “Got it memorized?”

Roxas rolled his eyes then belatedly remembered his father’s words about being on his best behavior and cleared his throat. “Right, fine. _Axel_. I need to meet with your dad.” He prompted, turning away and heading for the massive double-doors of the manor.

Quick footsteps sounded behind him as Axel jogged up to the blond, still grinning. “Don’t you know you’re supposed to introduce yourself, dummy?” The redhead lamented. “And to think I waited outside for you all this time. Talk about harsh.”

He was about to growl something about how he didn’t _ask_ for anyone to wait for him but held his tongue. _Best behavior._ Roxas repeated the words like a mantra inside his skull as he glanced at the redhead beside him. Up close, Roxas could see two thin purple markings – tattoos? – striking down both of Axel’s cheeks. Was that supposed to make him look more… mystical or something? If anything, it made him look more wild.

Axel turned his gaze in his direction, as if he’d heard the thought and liked it. “See something you like?” He teased.

Roxas grunted in annoyance, watching the gravel pass beneath his feet as he stepped up to the main porch. None of this really mattered. He was just a passing curiosity to these people it seemed. “Roxas.” He answered evenly, reaching out to the knocker out of habit despite having Axel with him.

Suddenly the redhead was close, tilting Roxas’s chin upward with a hand to meet his vulpine gaze. “I wasn’t complaining, Roxy.” He purred. 

For a moment Roxas’s eyes went wide.

Was this guy… _flirting_ with him?

His heart lurched at the notion and he briefly thought he might have a panic attack. Instead, he did the only reasonable thing and shoved the end of his skateboard into Axel’s stomach.

Axel immediately crumpled over with a wheeze, clutching at his ribs in pain. “What the-?” He gasped out, looking completely bewildered. For which, Roxas instantly felt terrible, caught between the desire to apologize and run away.

So he did both.

“Oh God, I’m sorry! I just -!” He spewed, his hand halting halfway between them in indecision before the panic took over and he threw himself inside the house like a protective barrier.

Best behavior! _Best fucking behavior!!_ His mind screamed at him.

Was he fucking _mad?_ He’d just assaulted the guy whom he’d come here to help! Oh God. Roxas clutched his skateboard to his chest protectively as a door slam snapped his attention upwards to the top of the banister.

Another figure with alarmingly red hair stood at the top, looking surprised to see him standing in the entrance. “Roxas!” He greeted, a groan slipping from him as he sighed at the ceiling. “Cloud has you getting up way too early, yo! Guess some things never change.” He muttered sadly. 

The man strode down the luxury staircase with a casual air of ownership that left Roxas wondering if everyone in this family lived at their own bizarre pace.

“Glad you could make it!” He added, slapping Roxas on the shoulder with a friendly smile. “I'm Reno, your dad's an old pal of mine - you definitely got his genes, huh? Spiky bastard. You board all the way here? Impressive!”

Before Roxas could decline the praise and react to the jarring contact, Axel opened the door behind him and stepped up to his side without so much as a limp. Roxas didn’t know why he’d expected a limp after nailing him in the stomach. But surely there’d be something – _some_ telltale sign of assault that his father would sense.

“Axel, what were you doing outside? I swear to god if you lit the garden on fire again…” Reno said instead, his expression flatlining.

_Again?_

His son raised his hands in the air defensively. “I keep telling you that was an accident.”

“Riiiiight…” Reno drawled, crossing his arms. “Well I’ll leave you two to it, I suppose. Holler if you need something, yo!” And with that, he was striding off leaving a stunned Roxas in his wake.

Just as with the house, Roxas felt a peculiar sense of off-kilter unease. He’d expected some backstory to Axel’s possession, maybe a tour of the house, a sit-down affair with… candles and incense or something. A little more ceremony. Why was Reno so trusting of him around his house – his _son?_ Hadn’t this been some sort of emergency?

“You’re clutching onto that skateboard pretty tight.” Axel observed once his father was out of earshot, raising a brow.

Reflexively easing his grip on the thing, Roxas felt a storm of emotions whirl through him as he faced his charge. “Listen, I’m sorry I-!”

“Don’t worry about it.” Axel waved the apology off easily. “You just surprised me is all. It’s a good thing.” He assured, a relaxed smile lighting his sharp features.

A small sense of normality soothed Roxas’s nerves. Maybe he’d misread everything a few minutes ago. Axel was probably just a bit… eccentric. He could still salvage this. “Yeah. Still…” Roxas offered with a shrug, letting the redhead know it wasn’t in his nature to attack strangers. “Just don’t do that again.”

“Oh, we’ll see, Roxy.” Axel said with a challenge that Roxas couldn’t quite fathom.

If anyone was going to touch him, Roxas supposed it _would_ be someone who _wanted_ their string broken. The idea still felt foreign to him though.

Axel suddenly frowned and looked away – the scowl deepening as the air around them crystallized, causing the marbled floor beneath Roxas’s feet began to crawl with frosted spirals and spikes. “Damnit.” Axel cursed through clenched teeth. “I was hoping to ward her off a bit longer…”

The redhead hauled Roxas to the side without warning as a spike of ice sprang from the ground to where he’d been standing only a moment before. To Roxas’s horror, the frost followed him with almost living, animalistic lurches. _What the hell?_

“Time to head back!” Axel declared, grabbing Roxas’s arm and yanking him through the house at a run, causing him to drop his skateboard along the way.

“ _That’s_ your ghost?” Roxas demanded as he risked a glance backwards, only to see a painting launch itself into the other wall as a cascade of ice poured down the hallway after them.

Axel flung open a door at the far end, shoving Roxas through first then placing himself in the doorway as a physical barrier, facing the approaching entity who was dousing the lights around it – seemingly collecting the darkness like a shroud till even Roxas could make out something swiftly approaching. The redhead’s form seemed to radiate with black fire as he finished a complicated series of symbols and slammed the door in the shadow’s proverbial face. The effect was instantaneous.

Wards burst to life in bright flares all around the room even as an ominous shaking began to rattle through the walls. As if the ghost were trying to find a way in. Roxas’s eyes were wide as he turned to each tumble of claws that raked through the framework, despite being unable to see anything at all. After a solid minute of terrorizing sounds, the claws skittered away and faded into silence – the lights coming back on after a few sputtering blinks.

“So,” Axel breathed, looking tired as he leaned back against his door. “Welcome to my room.” He gestured in a sarcastic display of ease.

Roxas wasn’t sure what to react to first. Much less, how to respond to such friendly flippancy.

It must have shown on his face because Axel gave him a sympathetic look, running a hand through his red hair awkwardly. “Sorry about that. I thought I could keep her in check longer than I did, but she got jealous and, well… She’s a real sweetheart, huh?” He cracked a smile, hoping to lighten the mood probably. “You okay?” Axel asked more seriously, looking honest-to-God concerned that Roxas might be in shock.

Which was hilarious. _Who wouldn’t be in shock after that sort of introduction?!_ Roxas wondered incredulously, calming down his racing heartbeat.

“Hey, it’s okay. She can’t get in here.” Axel assured, stepping forward and resting a hand on Roxas’s shoulder worriedly.

“’m fine.” Roxas mumbled stubbornly, moving away from Axel’s touch – trying to focus on his surroundings to distract him. He dealt with supernatural  _strings,_ damnit! Not homicidal ice-ghosts!

His gaze fell upon Axel's bed first. It was mussed up and unmade - cans of soda, cords, and random trash cluttering up the nightstand. There were a few articles of clothing thrown haphazardly near the hamper as if Axel had missed when throwing them, though the rest of the floor remained fairly clear. On a desk sat a gothic looking lavalamp along with a sweet looking gaming setup Roxas knew Sora would cry over. Aside from the symbols and wards scribed and etched into the walls it was… a bit underwhelming.

And right now, that was exactly what he needed.

Roxas inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of cloves and ash. Right. Axel needed his help.

As if reading his mind, Axel held up his hands – apparently having no idea which one the string was connected to. “The sooner you untie this thing, the better. To be honest, today’s the first time I’ve gone outside in about a week.”

The blond shook his head, settling himself on Axel’s comforter and gesturing a few feet away for Axel to join him. “You don’t want me to do that.” He corrected as the redhead did as requested. “If I untie a person’s string they lose it entirely. I have to sever it if you want any chance of one day finding the way to your real soulmate. That’s why people don’t get close to me. They don’t want to risk me coming close to their string and accidentally untying it.” He explained softly, a shadow passing over his features. _As if that would ever happen._

Roxas gently took Axel’s hand in his own, observing the red cord critically. It glowed faintly, filled with an inner light Roxas had never seen before. Strangely, it was only a single thread, possessing complex patterns that danced across its vibrant surface like flames and curls of smoke. It was… mesmerizing.

“You ever untie someone’s string before, Roxas?” Axel asked, his voice hushed.

He swallowed hard, pushing the memories aside. “Once.”

“What happened to them?”

Never taking his eyes away from the string, Roxas took a deep breath. “The string I untied left the man unable to find love or connect romantically with anyone ever again. The woman eventually healed in time and found a new soulmate a few years ago. From what I heard.” He finished softly, ignoring the tightness in his chest as he spoke the words.

It was all wrong. He’d been the one to cause it all – he should be _glad_ his mother had found at least some form of happiness again. But he just couldn’t. She was his _mom._ She belonged with his dad! He knew it – everyone knew it! Even _Aerith!_ But she simply didn’t feel for Cloud what she now felt for Zack.

And now his father had to watch it happen.

A tense minute of silence came between them till Axel changed the subject abruptly, pulling Roxas away from his dark thoughts, “So do you have a pair of scissors you use...?”

Doubling down on his emotions, Roxas shook his head, a small smile touching the corner of his lips at the mental image Axel must have. “I have to sever it myself, one fiber at a time. It'll be painful, like I'm breaking your heart; so it'll be slow going. You’ll probably be stuck in here for a couple more days from the look of yours.” He added, dropping Axel’s hand to grab his cell phone and text his dad the news.

“Uh, that’s cool with me – however long it takes, right? But the thing is, Larx probably won’t just let you go… and I can only hold her off for so long.” Axel muttered with a grimace.

Roxas’s thumbs flashed over the tiny keyboard like lightning. “I sort of figured this might happen. Living people will fight to have their string stay attached – it makes sense that a dead one would, too.”

“Yeah, but…”

“I’m staying here with you, Axel.” Roxas informed, glancing up at the surprised redhead – whose eyes had gone comically wide. “In this room.” He flashed the older boy his father’s response, which okayed the whole situation, saying he’d bring over some of Roxas’s things later that evening.

Axel collected himself as Roxas sent a quick text to Sora.

“Well. Guess we’d better get started, huh?”   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is only at the end of this, that I realize the first chapter is basically a showcase of Roxas and Sora being dorks.
> 
> Whoops.
> 
> Thank you kindly for reading~
> 
> -FYI-  
> Each chapter will be about this length.  
> To be updated one week from now.  
> ~Lafia


	2. Body

11:19am - **Sora**  
_So there was actual ice?_

_Go see if it’s still there. I want a picture!_

_That’s so awesome!_

11:21am - **Roxas**  
_The doorway is literally an ice wall on the other side._

_Pretty sure the ghost is still pissed off that I’m here._

11:22am - **Sora**  
_So you could say…_

11:22am - **Roxas**  
_Don’t._

11:22am - **Sora**  
_SHE HAS NO CHILL???_

11:23am - **Roxas**  
_I’m disowning you._

11:23am - **Sora**  
_Ayyyyyy!!!_   _8DDD_

Roxas shut off his phone with a quiet huff, equal parts amused and oh so done with his brother’s ability to make light of any situation. Sometimes being able to predict Sora lightyears away was a punishment all of its own. Still, a small grin found its way onto Roxas’s face as he stole a glance at the redhead across the room.

Axel was curled up on his bed, the spikes of his hair defying gravity as he distracted himself with internet videos of dubious content. He hadn’t moved from the spot for the last half an hour. Not since Roxas had made the first incision.

It never went well.

The heart-lurching gasp of agony had left Axel clutching at his chest as if he were having a stroke. His green eyes wide and lost even as he’d gasped for air, asking Roxas to continue if only for the sake of getting it over with. If only it were that easy.

Souls weren’t meant to be open wounds, and strings certainly weren’t intended to adopt the ‘Band-Aid’ mentality. Bonds couldn’t be cauterized in an instant without fallout. It was slow and steady - a painful processing. Or there might not be any healing at all.

So here they were.

The small bit of amusement Sora had brought fell away as Roxas cleared his throat, attracting Axel’s attention from his monitor. “You ready?” He asked, trying to gauge the redhead’s emotional state.

Truth be told, Axel was hard to read. One moment he seemed flippant and cocky, and the next he was soft - a balm to his nerves. But at the moment, watching him carefully, Roxas couldn’t detect the previous pain he’d inflicted still clouding Axel’s mood.

It was fast, as far as recoveries went, but not unprecedented. This was all new, after all. Axel hadn’t been in love with the ghost before she’d latched onto his string, hadn’t even _known_ her from the sound of it. And then there was the fact that she was dead. Who knew what factors like that could add up to?

Axel shut the lid of his laptop as he sat up, taking a cleansing breath as if to steady himself. “Is it always like this?” He muttered as Roxas rolled his desk chair over lazily, refusing to get up.

“Like what?” The blond reached out and grasped Axel’s string once more, locating the small snag he’d made previously. After a moment’s deliberation, he decided to wait for Axel to finish his thought before, well… hurting him again.

Axel gave a weak smile, gesturing vaguely. “You, staying with people as you cut their strings. Watching them all…” He trailed off as if uncertain of the word he was looking for.

However, Roxas understood well enough. “Not really.” He said with a shake of his head, glancing down at the glowing red fate-string held in his hands.

A baffled and equally guarded part of him wondered if Axel was asking out of a desire to know him better… Or if he was simply trying to learn a bit more about a foreign world of invisible things he _couldn’t_ see.

Even if they were spending the next 24+ hours together, Roxas couldn’t imagine Axel trying to make friends with him. Not after his fantastic show of reflexes when he’d first arrived. Not after Roxas continued to cut his string, sending him reeling through the stages of grief over and over and over again.

A small huff of annoyance escaped him as he realized he’d lost his skateboard while on the run from Axel’s ghost anyway. He couldn’t have botched that whole situation more if he’d tried.

At this point, he could only hope that maybe his dad would bring it to him later.

“Yeah?” Axel’s voice prompted him out of his thoughts, sounding curious.

“People usually come to me.” Roxas elaborated, refocusing on the string in his hand and pressing a fingernail into the fray he’d already caused. Across from him, Axel tensed immediately. “It’s different for everyone but the process usually takes weeks. Sometimes months. Depends on the string and how willing the person is to heal.” He paused, visions swimming behind his eyes. “I… I don’t deal with happy circumstances. The soul… is a strange thing.” Roxas concluded.

He wasn’t cutting into it. Not yet. Even still, the thread seemed to thrum beneath his fingers anxiously, as if it knew what was coming.

Some days he felt like a surgeon, severing a diseased limb for the best chance of survival. Other days he felt like a bird of prey, shoving mere fledglings out of their nest and waiting to see if they figured out how to fly or broke their necks on the ground below.

Why some people found the will to heal and others didn’t, he’d never know. His only job was to give them the chance.

A sliver of guilt worked its way into Roxas’s heart as he found himself repeating the words of his mother’s lessons from an age long past: “Two souls that harmonize perfectly can turn to discord due to a person’s choices. Souls are pure. But when a person continues down a harmful path, they risk tainting their relationship with their soulmate.” He shrugged his shoulders, looking away. “Despite being connected by the String of Fate, it can cause more harm than good.”

He frowned at the red thing – so fragile in his hands, yet inescapable and convoluted. It ruled over too much. Allowed people to come to harm under its influence. Roxas shook his head, brushing the bangs out of his eyes as he sighed. “Those are the type of cases I usually have. Abuse. Addiction. People so broken and torn up inside they’ve lost _themselves_ in the process. I don’t normally get to see what happens afterwards.”

 _I just break them then set them free,_ his mind muttered.

“But you can still see the strings, can’t you? Why not join up with your brother?” Axel asked, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Sure, you couldn’t tie anyone together, but you could still provide a solid matchmaking service. Show people where to go and all that.”

Roxas let out a puff of amused air, retracting from Axel’s string enough to feel the relief it radiated in response. “It… doesn’t work like that. They’re not like maps leading the way to everyone’s soulmate from the moment you’re born. You have to meet, first of all. For some people it’s instantaneous, their strings just connect the moment they come into close enough proximity. Most people have to start talking in order for the connection to solidify. And some people just take a while as their string gradually intertwines with the other’s over a much longer period of time. Like a slow magnetic pull, I guess.

“That’s why my brother’s so special. He can see into people’s souls and tell if they resonate with one another. As long as they match up well enough, Sora can bind them together, and form a new soulmate’s bond. I can’t do any of that.” Roxas glanced over at the doorframe – eyeing the ever-present haze of icy air that matted down Axel’s carpet. 

Axel hummed thoughtfully, crossing one leg over the other. “Guess I always figured the soulmate business was more singular than that. ‘One in this world’ sort of thing.” He waved his hand in the air expressively before resting his chin on it, looking a bit disappointed.

He hesitated. Truthfully, Roxas agreed. Nature _did_ match people on a one-on-one basis. It was only through his and Sora’s mucking about with things that anything turned out differently. Especially on Sora’s part – haphazardly binding souls that ‘resonated’ but weren’t cosmically-deigned soulmates.

Or however it worked.

He sometimes wondered what other person Sora was stealing his clients from. If they would end up alone due to Sora’s interference. If the universe would find them a new soulmate instead. If a new soul had to be created to fill that void in the next life…

So many questions that never seemed to have answers.

Roxas pushed back his thoughts and went with the response he always gave when the questions became too much: “Sora believes that true love can be grown between any heart that’s willing.” He shrugged dismissively, bringing his gaze back to Axel’s as if realizing how much he’d said for the first time.

He was… easy to talk to, Roxas decided. Given that he didn’t consider himself a great talker, the whole conversation was taking him a bit by surprise. Pleasantly, perhaps.

Maybe he was just that desperate, actually.

A thick blanket of practicality settled back over his feelings, smothering them back into silence. Being the first person to really show any interest in Roxas… The blond supposed he couldn’t really trust his perspective on the matter.

“I’m a bit surprised you take any of this seriously anyhow.” Roxas verbally shoved at Axel, ready to distance himself for his own good. “Soulmates and true love.” He heard himself scoff without feeling despite knowing differently. At least on the soulmates topic.

True love was still up for debate.

“Go ahead and be surprised then.” Axel quipped with a sudden grin, holding out his hand as if waiting for something. “See, soulmates are pretty important in my line of work. Without one, I’m only half a Medium.” He said as a burst of black flame erupted within his palm.

Roxas nearly fell out of his chair with a yelp, only just managing to catch himself before the traitorous thing scooted halfway across the room. Was Axel trying to kill him?! He shot the redhead a baleful glare, who had the audacity to look amused as he picked himself back up.

“Easy, Roxas.” He chuckled. “It’s just my flame.”

The blond swallowed down the rapid-fire beating of his heart, annoyed at being caught so completely off guard. Maybe it _was_ possible for him to accidentally untie someone’s string. _Fucking hell…_

He gave a wary glance to the string still wrapped snugly around Axel’s finger, unharmed. For a swift, irrational moment, Roxas had half a mind to jam his power into Axel’s thread to see how _he_ liked being startled.

However, the voice of reason won out in the end as Axel let the fire build, curling around his fingers and down his wrist. “It’s used to cleanse things. Usually spaces or objects with lingering negativity. It’s an extension of ourselves. But the true power of our flames can’t be unlocked until we find our soulmates. Here-.” Axel held out his hand in a clear invitation to take it – flames and all.

It was then that Roxas realized he hadn’t felt any heat from the fiery display whatsoever. The disassociation jarred him a bit as he inquisitively let his hand hover closer. Black tendrils licked at his fingertips – warm, but nowhere near dangerous.

He shot Axel a cautious, sideways glance before slowly pushing his hand into the blaze, encompassing it in the gentle heat. Unexpectedly, Axel’s string seemed to glow much brighter, the patterns of smoke that danced across it growing thicker and more lively.

It felt right though. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t anything that Roxas had to worry about. It seemed likely that this was simply how Axel’s string behaved when he used his abilities. If anything, it brought a small smile to Roxas’s face.

Gently, as if afraid to startle him, Axel hovered his hand above Roxas’s and with a small motion, the blond watched as a wave of black flames spread over his arm like wildfire. Unable to help himself, Roxas prodded at the miniature blaze flickering across his skin – somehow still surprised to find that it didn’t hurt.

“A Medium’s power to exorcise spirits is kindled through the bond they create with their soulmate.” Axel explained, taking his time as the flames began to spin around Roxas’s arm in whirling bands of dark light. “Exorcising something… it takes more energy than a single person can sustain. That’s why we don’t do it unless we’ve found our other half. It’s kind of a big deal for us. Especially for me.” He added almost as a sheepish afterthought, watching Roxas and his fire closely.

“It likes you, you know.” Axel said after a moment’s pause.

Roxas scrunched his face as he toyed with the licks of flame between his fingers. “It has a consciousness?” 

“Impulse.” Axel corrected in a sort of casual, raspy way that made Roxas think he was secretly pleased with something. “Not so much a mind of its own, but it feeds off of emotion. I can control it, but right now I’m just letting it do what it wants.”

The blond hummed as he watched the patterns shift across his arm, soaking in their warmth. Their movements were strangely hypnotic, giving him cause to wonder if they weren’t caught up in the same invisible breeze the red strings always were. If all things didn’t eventually connect and correlate on some plane of existence. A dimension with answers where everything finally made sense.

He shook the wandering thoughts from his mind and took a breath, picking Axel’s string back up. Better to keep going now that Axel seemed to have fully recovered from the first incision. “You ready?” Roxas asked again, feeling better and yet somehow worse for it.

With a snap of his fingers, the dark flames drew back from the smaller male and dissipated around Axel once again. “Yeah. Go for it, Roxy.” He encouraged with a tight smile, obviously steeling himself.

Nodding, Roxas pressed his nail into the small notch he’d made before closing his eyes, focusing. Delving deep into his consciousness – into the glowing core of _him._ Beyond his cognizant thoughts and memories. Till a thrumming, molten pool of liquid gold welled up – spilling out and over without dimensions or end. Roxas willed himself to reach into it, to grasp only a drop of its essence; its echoes  wrapped around him.

Like a bolt of lightning, it flashed – white hot and burning and he ripped away, back into his conscious mind. A bead of gold mentally clutched in his hand; impossibly painful.

The whispers had turned to screams, too loud and chaotic to discern as he opened his eyes and willed the vile droplet into Axel’s thread. Searing energy shot down his arm, through his fingertip, then left him altogether – the string clenched between his nails jerking wildly as if trying to escape.

Axel doubled over, crying out as he fisted his hands in his hair, trying to keep calm as emotions flooded him. “I hate it.” He gasped out, voice quivering on the edge of tears as he held his head between his knees.

Roxas cradled his now-numb arm into his stomach as subtly as he could. “Sorry.” He murmured as he let the cord fall, unable to look away from the damage he’d caused, like always.

The redhead shook his head vehemently, dragging himself up to look Roxas in the eye. “That’s not what I mean! I hate feeling things I have _no reason to feel._ ” He growled, an unnatural heat radiating off of him even as the room grew cold. “All these _fucking_ emotions!” Axel snapped, cursing as tears fell down his cheeks. “Why do I feel like I’m _breaking_ over someone I never even _knew_? Much less, _liked_? _Shit_! Both times! Leaves me feeling so _lost_ when I know – fucking _know_ , that I’m not! _I hate this_!”

Guilt-ridden, Roxas could only listen in silence, accepting the onslaught of confusion and pain. Each time, it reminded him of how truly horrifying it must have been for his father who, against all logic, had held it all inside.

Shoulders heaving with effort, Axel fixed Roxas with a bleary stare, his hands balled into tight fists straining against his legs. “Tell me about your soulmate, Roxy.” He ordered roughly, clearly trying to get a handle on himself through force.

Roxas physically startled, jumping a bit at the question. “What?”

“You have one, right? Just tell me about them.” Axel demanded through clenched teeth, squeezing his eyes shut against any more tears.

“Axel, I don’t-.”

“ _Please_.” He ground out, a sob wracking through the edge of his plea.

Roxas mentally retreated as quickly as he could, watching the situation unfold in partial horror. What the hell was he supposed to do with this? Make something up? The truth seemed too boring to be believable to the redhead. _Of all the things he decided to distract himself with-!_ Roxas floundered for a minute longer as Axel fell apart in front of him.

It was faster this time – the processing. The anger had burned out quickly, but Roxas knew it was the depression that offered the greatest pitfall. A depression Axel seemed to want his help getting out of, God damn it.

Roxas bit his lip, deliberating, then slowly exhaled. “Haven’t met them yet.” He said quietly, rubbing his arms for warmth. “That’s the thing about our family, nobody with the ability to see the red string can see their own. We’re pretty sure Sora and I can’t see one another’s since we’re twins. Or at least, that’s the going theory anyway. My mom likes to comment on Sora’s every once and a while but…” He swallowed thickly, trying to keep his voice even - yet it barely came out at all...

“Apparently I don’t have one.”

Roxas looked away sharply, almost hoping that Axel hadn’t heard for reasons that were beyond him.

He wasn’t ashamed to not have a string. For the things he’d done, it felt like justice in its own way. But he hated the ache. The desire that welled up within him from imagining some soul wandering the world, destined to match him.

Someone who was destined to love him.

Roxas scowled deeply, a familiar throb gripping his chest as he thought back to his morning with Sora. _Now_ who was projecting?

Forcing the pain down, Roxas walled it away behind years of bitterness.

It was just as well he didn’t have a string or a soulmate – he wouldn’t deserve them anyway. Not with how immature he was, treating them like some sort of surrogate family in his thoughts. Wanting them to take away his stupid problems like a savior. And what would they get in return?

The acrimony laced itself into his bloodstream, setting his jaw into a hard line.

 _Nothing_.

The knowledge was as swift as it was poisonous – as if it were always there, waiting to be loosed. And indeed, it was. Each time it served as a reminder, carving the lesson deeper into his consciousness.

“Hey…” Axel’s shaky voice called out suddenly. “Whatever you’re thinking right now, stop.”

Roxas flicked his eyes up to Axel’s out of surprise, only to find his piercing gaze a foot away even as tears fell down his tattooed cheeks. God damn, if the sight wasn’t a little bit breathtaking. The intensity and proximity of it set something small and fluttering loose between his ribs.

It felt traitorously like hope.

Had Axel… _seen_ him?

Roxas recoiled as his mind worked quickly to provide a more logical conclusion. Axel was a Medium, he’d already said that he could cleanse negative auras or… something. That was probably what he’d been reading then.

The blond made a face, holding down his panic. He wasn’t fond of the idea that someone could read him like a book… and then _make_ his darkness go away.

As much as he realized his self-derisive tendencies were harmful; they were a part of who he was. It was one of the few things he could rely on to keep him safe.

The temperature dropped even further till each breath caused little puffs of condensation – a shiver crawling down Roxas’s spine. “It’s okay.” He tried to reassure as Axel continued to visually pin him where he sat. “Doesn’t seem right for a person who can break strings to have one of their own, anyway.” Roxas excused awkwardly, suddenly unsure of what to do with himself.

He glanced behind him to the desk, kicking the chair back a few feet to grab the box of tissues resting in the corner, then offered it to Axel. It wasn’t much, and it wouldn’t make any of this go by faster, but if felt better than doing nothing and watching him cry. Roxas tugged at his checkered wristband uncertainly as another wave of wintery air washed through his bones. “Aren’t you… cold?” He wondered aloud, brows furrowing at the realization that Axel didn’t even seem to be shivering.

Axel gave a lopsided grin, angling himself towards his bedroom door ever so slightly. “She’s been screaming at you this whole time.” He confessed, sounding particularly amused even as he tried to wipe away the tears with the palm of his hand. “Think she’s trying to smoke you out.”

The redhead pushed himself back so he could pull his comforter out from beneath him, holding it up like an invitation. “Common. I stay pretty warm with my flames, but I doubt she’s going to let up any time soon. And I swear I’d try and get you a heater if she wouldn’t just turn it off. Besides,” his tone turned sober, “nobody likes to be alone when they’re hurt.”

A small swarm of fluttering wings brushed against the emotional walls Roxas had built, even as he tried to cage them once more. _This meant nothing._ Axel was being practical. Still, the blond couldn’t help but eye the open-armed invite like it was some sort of trap. That by accepting, he’d be agreeing to something he didn’t know the full repercussions of. But then, that probably came with the territory of not physically interacting with anyone other than Sora on a positive level.

Keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the comforter, Roxas slid from the computer chair, across the bed, and pressed himself beneath Axel’s arm – somehow surprised to find that Axel really _was_ warm. Instinctively, Roxas pulled his legs up to his chest as he tucked the heavy blanket around him like a cocoon, his shivers coming to a slow halt.

“I don’t know how other people do it.” Axel said quietly, watching the floor with half-closed eyes as if mentally trapped in some painful memory. “I’m pretty sure the only reason I’m able to force myself to keep going is because you’re here with me. I feel… so _alone._ And guilty for hurting her. Even when my brain knows that shouldn’t be the case...”

Roxas hummed in agreement, burying his nose in the soft blanket for a moment before tilting his head to look at Axel once more. “It really should take weeks or months.” He consoled as best as he could. “I took out quite a chunk this last time though; we should only have to do this two or three more times.” He added, feeling Axel shudder beside him at the news.

He could only imagine what it was like. Watching people process grief at a distance had left him somewhat numb to the ordeal despite the ever-present plague of guilt. But this was different. Harder.

Axel had treated him like a friend. Whatever boundary that usually separated Roxas from the rest of his clients had been blown away without him noticing. This wasn’t how any of this was supposed to be and yet… Roxas watched the emotions shift across Axel’s expressive features. It wasn’t about his family anymore. Or even about making amends for the harm he’d caused in the past. He just wanted Axel to be free for Axel’s own sake. 

Something shifted within him – a bit of warmth that had previously been reserved exclusively for Sora filled his heart.

Rolling his eyes with a scoff, Roxas roughly tugged on Axel’s arm – throwing the redhead off balance as he shifted the comforter out of the way enough for Axel to lay on top of his legs. Ignoring the surprised yelp and disjointed flail, Roxas folded the blanket back over them both after successfully yanking him down, Axel’s heat sinking into his jeans comfortably.

“You’re not alone, you dork.” He argued, feeling the stiffness in Axel’s body slowly ease as he realized what was going on. “And you’re not going to _be_ alone.” Roxas reminded after a moment. “It’s going to be alright.”

Eyes glassy and overly bright, Axel’s expression turned soft as a small smile played at the corner of his mouth. “Easy, Roxy, or I might really fall for you.” He warned smoothly.

Roxas snorted and stuffed a pillow in his face, a little smug at the squawk of protest he received in response.

Releasing his hostage, Roxas reached over to the laptop Axel had abandoned and opened it back up – pleased to see that it didn’t require a password as the video page continued right there Axel had left off. Some Australian show involving car specs and experiments that usually ended in explosions? Roxas squinted at the screen, trying to get a grasp on the 30 minute spectacle that was unfolding rapidly.

Instead of questioning him, Axel merely rolled onto his side – hugging the offending pillow into his stomach – and proceeded to watch along, the shudders in his breathing beginning to abate.

 

* * *

 

 

“Axel! What the hell, yo?” A muffled voice demanded from somewhere far away. “You’d better not be doing anything shady to Spiky’s kid to be causin’ the Winter Wonderland you got going on out here!”

“Roxas?” A more familiar voice called – calm and level as ever, if not equally distant.

Roxas pressed himself further into the blankets around him, soaking up their warmth as he ignored the voices in favor of sleep. Sora had already interrupted his morning – why couldn’t anyone just leave him alone? He was comfortable!

A slow trickle of unwanted realizations began to once again turn the wheels of his mind. He felt comfortable, yes, but it was _freakishly_ cold just beyond his blankets… which hazily made sense. He was at Axel’s house with the pissed off ghost. _Right_. But then where was Axel-?

Prying open sleep-crusted eyes, Roxas peered out at the color-drenched world. Everything was bathed in a warm swash of gold and pink even as the light faded away, illuminating the fiery mane of hair and pale skin laying directly next to him. Too surprised to be embarrassed, the blond’s memory started to piece together that he must have fallen asleep soon after Axel. And it was now late in the evening?

“Never thought I’d need to find a damn ice pick in August…” The first voice grumbled.

Ah, right. His dad had said he was coming over...

Roxas pulled himself up onto his elbows with a grunt, instantly regretting the loss of warmth that had hovered between them. Fortunately, the laptop was still on the bed… There had been more than one occasion where Sora had unconsciously tossed something of Roxas’s to the floor in the middle of the night. Eventually he’d learned to just not keep anything breakable near his twin.

He hesitatingly turned back to Axel, wondering if he should wake him up. The redhead seemed exhausted from the day’s events, his rhythmic breaths rising and falling with the shallowness of deep slumber despite Roxas’s movements. Free to look at his leisure, the blond’s mind fixated itself on the older boy as time and circumstances became unimportant.

That shade of red had to be natural… though he supposed it was possible both he and his dad dyed it at the same time. Didn’t seem likely though. And those markings… Roxas leaned closer in inspection and ended up getting distracted by the rest of Axel’s face. Sharp and expressive… he was once again reminded of how vulpine Axel’s eyes had first looked. For a moment, Roxas felt stupidly jealous of the redhead’s unique features.

Having an identical twin meant he never felt unique.

The blond drew his gaze back down to Axel’s string and picked it up delicately in the palm of his hand. He shouldn’t be touching it. Nobody liked it when he touched their strings. The excuse that it was beautiful felt weak even to himself, when it had already lead to tragedy once before. Nevertheless, Roxas gently ran his fingers over its silky surface, musing to himself what his own thread might have looked like.

He liked simple designs, he decided. Ones that struck him as basic until he looked closer to see their complexity. Sora’s was apparently braided with stars. Whether they were glowing specks or five-pointed shapes hanging off of it, Roxas didn’t know. He liked to imagine them as shapes though – like little charms swaying in the wind.

Axel shifted in his sleep, curling tighter into the space Roxas had vacated, causing the side of his shirt ride up in protest – drawing the blond’s attention. Being like this with someone other than Sora was bizarre. He would never have normally done anything even close to this! But Axel kept surprising him, pursuing him, _accepting_ him…

He was _warm._

Roxas spared a glance at the taut back muscles set on display as Axel slumbered on. _Huh_. For as tall and gangly as he’d first appeared… he was actually pretty well defined.

Roxas briefly considered throttling him if it ended up being genetic.

“Yo! Roxas!” Reno shouted – slamming the bedroom door open as the wards flared to life; the angry shadow from before nowhere to be seen as the redhead turned the lights on. Already, the temperature seemed to be lifting dramatically as Reno and Cloud stared down at him.

He groaned, shoving his bangs out of his eyes as he nudged Axel, sitting upright on his knees. “Yeah?” He mumbled grumpily, squinting against the sudden brightness emanating from the walls.

Reno’s gaze was roving between him and Axel then back again. “Is this what it looks like?” He asked after a moment’s scrutiny.

Axel had the decency to drag himself into a sitting position as well, yawning wildly as he scratched the back of his neck. “Dunno. Depends on what you think it looks like.” He countered cheekily.

“We brought pizza.” Cloud cut in before Reno undoubtedly launched into an argument with his son, holding Roxas’s skateboard out to him with his free hand.

Roxas clambered out of the tangle of sheets, happy to have his board back once more, the familiar grit of its deck was almost soothing. Some part of his imagination had come up with the idea that the ghost might have taken it as a tool for casting a curse or something. Though… that seemed a little ridiculous now.

“Sora’s not here?” Roxas asked as the realization dawned on him. That was weird. His enthusiasm for meeting the ‘ghost buster family’ had been boarderlining on unhealthy earlier.

Cloud shook his head. “He ran off to help some friend I’ve never heard of named Riku. Said you’d fill me in.”

 _Of course he did._ Roxas couldn’t help but mentally grumble. _What the fuck._ How had Sora thought this was going to go? That he’d just make up some excuse about an obscure friend from school who’d just transferred? One of his D&D buddies from over the internet who was visiting family in the area? _Hell no._

And what was this about running off as if Riku were suddenly a real, physical person?!

If Sora thought he could get away with this kind of brother-douchery, he had another thing coming.

Roxas propped his skateboard up against Axel’s bed, checking his phone one last time before committing to throwing his twin under a bus. Nope. No texts. _Well then…_ “Oh yeah, _Riku_.” He emphasized with as much casual flippancy he thought he could get away with, turning around to face his dad. “He’s Sora’s soulmate.” Roxas said matter-of-factly. 

Getting to see his dad look surprised was rare enough, but watching color drain from Cloud’s already fair skin almost made the entire situation worth it.

“Sora’s… met his soulmate?” Cloud asked, stunned – his bright eyes wide and locked on Roxas’s. “When did this happen? Why didn’t Sora just tell me?”

Roxas cleared his throat awkwardly, only just realizing what bad timing this probably was as all eyes focused on him. _But God damn it if Sora hadn’t forced his hand!_ “I dunno.” He half-lied. “Sora just tells me about him sometimes.”

_About once a week, actually._

“Hey! Congrats, Cloud! One of your midgets is finally growing up!” Reno cheered, clapping Cloud roughly on the shoulder as Roxas balked at the nickname. “We’ll have to go out and celebrate like old times once Sora comes clean, yo!”

Cloud grunted with annoyance, shaking the redhead off as he held out two pizza boxes stacked on top of one another. “Here. Got your favorite and a Cajun pizza for Axel. I’ll be back with the rest of your stuff in a sec.” He announced, handing them off before striding back down the hallway like he owned the place with Reno in tow.

Roxas lifted the lid to the top one and could only stare. Shrimp? On a pizza? He gave Axel an incredulous look before closing the box once again and setting them on the redhead’s desk. “You have weird taste.” 

“What? It’s delicious!” Axel protested, seemingly knowing exactly what Roxas had been referring to.

“ _Sure_. Just don’t go and contaminate any of mine, got it?”

“And here I thought we were bonding…” The redhead sighed deeply as he rose to his feet, stretching his arms behind his back lazily.

The smaller male sobered a bit, watching the easygoing display with a twinge of unease. The temperature was dropping again. “How are you feeling?” He asked, glancing down at Axel’s hand meaningfully.

Without warning, a series of black flames spiraled from Axel’s form, scattering through the room, making Roxas jump. However, as soon as the burning phantoms reached him, they traveled up his body to perch on his shoulder – filling him with a gentle warmth once again.

In fact, the whole room seemed to be fighting back an angry frost which, for the first time, couldn’t quite keep up. Within a matter of moments, not a trace of cold could be found as a pleasant scent filled the air.

“Better.” Axel said with a grin.

Roxas blinked up at him uncomprehendingly. How the _hell_ was Axel bouncing back this quickly?

He’d asked to be _polite._ Not because he actually expected Axel to be ready for another incision the _moment_ he woke up! Was he faking it? Did being a Medium have something to do with it? The way Axel was behaving was unprecedented.

“Always been something of a ghost-magnet, you know?” Axel chuckled, not giving any context to the random subject change. “They’re attracted to power. So me? I’m like a beacon on a hill. Leads to all sorts of troublesome jobs to be honest... But something like this? I should have been able to keep out Larxene’s cold from the start. Sorry about that.” He apologized, stepping forward to take a piece of his bizarre pizza choice.

“So you’re… strong.” The blond drew out slowly.

“If raw power has anything to say about it, the strongest.” He boasted, tearing off nearly half of the slice in his bite. “But it’s not that straightforward.” He amended, somehow managing to swallow it down. “It mostly means I cause trouble wherever I go. Tried going to school once, ended up burning down the gym.” Axel confessed with a grin that looked the opposite of apologetic.

“Like the garden?” Roxas mused, remembering Reno’s comment from earlier. “Stuff ends up getting burnt down around you a lot, huh?”

“ _That_ ties back into the _other_ factor I’m missing; my soulmate. My fire can get a little… unstable when under pressure.” The redhead verbally dismissed, folding the rest of his slice in half before biting into it again. “I was actually thinking you could help me out in that particular area.”

Roxas paused in his visual selection of the perfect first slice. “I already told you, you have to meet your soulmate first before your strings can connect. And even then, I don’t know how I could help. Unless you want to go… stand in the middle of a train station and wait for me to tell you if they show up?” He guessed bewilderedly.

“What? Nah.” Axel shook his head, giving a cat-like smile. “I’ve already got my suspicions on who they might be.” He leaned over and plucked a piece of Roxas’s pizza before the blond could finish deciding, taking an impressive bite. “I’ve got a pretty good intuition for this sort of thing; don’t worry about it. I just need you to come with me when life resumes...” His face became comically perplexed as he swallowed, halting in his speech to give the pizza a dubious look. “What the hell is _this?”_

“Pesto Mediteranian with kalamata olives. And if you don’t like it, _don’t steal it._ ” Roxas growled, snatching up a piece for himself.

“It’s salty! Pizza isn’t supposed to be salty!”

“Well I doubt pizza was meant to be fishy, either, but here we are.” Roxas said flatly, ignoring him in favor of sending a text message to Sora.

This was all going much faster than he’d expected… and now Sora was up to something without telling him? As much as he didn’t like to put stock in such things, his greatest form of relief came in the fact that his ‘twin sense’ wasn’t sending him any bad signals.

Which, of course, meant that Roxas had defaulted to being annoyed with the brunette.

8:48 pm - **Roxas**  
_Where are you?_

8:49 pm - **Roxas**  
_I heard Riku needed help?_

_…_

_Sora I know you have your phone with you!_

8:51 pm – **Roxas  
**_Sora?_

8:55 pm - **Roxas** _  
So._

_I told dad Riku was your Soulmate ._

8:57 pm - **Roxas**  
_…_

_You’d better be in a stupid movie with Riku!_

_Text me when you can, okay?_

Roxas turned up the volume on his alert tone before pocketing the phone once again, feeling… uncertain. If Sora really had found Riku… Roxas couldn’t help but feel like everything would change.

It was one thing to talk about him like he was real… like he was already destined to be. But if Riku really _had_ shown up… It would be just him now.

Knowing he was meant to be alone and staring loneliness in the face were two very separate battles. One of which, he wasn’t sure he was ready to fight.

“Don’t like the new brother-in-law, huh?” Axel drawled, leaning back in the computer chair, which squeaked in protest.

Roxas snorted. “Sora’s not answering my texts. And all I know is that Sora’s crazy about him.” He admitted with a pinch of envy. “I guess I just… hope this doesn’t change things. Change Sora. I’ve never liked the idea that a person’s worth is bound up in someone else so I… I want him to still be him. And us to still be us.”

He fidgeted nervously with his hands, glancing at the doorway in apprehension. “I’ve seen hundreds of soulmates come together happily, but I still feel like I’m going to become the third wheel to everything in Sora’s life now. Maybe it’s a twin fear? _‘He_ _has Riku. What does he need me for?’_ ” He intoned sarcastically – if only that weren’t how he truly felt in all its bare-boned ugliness…

Roxas hung his head, thinking of all their inside jokes – the obnoxious mornings being woken up by Sora crawling up beside him. Knowing one another’s rhythms to the point they could often read one another’s mind. Would that all be gone now?

A foreign brush of warmth pressed itself against Roxas’s face, small flickers of black fire rising up almost as if to console him. He glanced at Axel who shrugged, looking as surprised as he felt. So the fire was acting on its own again?

Roxas felt a smile quirk at the corner of his mouth as he pressed his face into the stuff, trapping it between his cheek and shoulder in a small nuzzle of thanks. It flickered and popped, as if happy, momentarily flaring like the wards in the room, which sent Axel rocketing to his feet.

“Roxas! It changed color!” He exclaimed, stepping up to him in an instant and grasping the blond by the shoulders before he could dodge out of the way. “Did you see that?!” Axel demanded excitedly.

“Um?” He trailed off, startled at the change of mood as he twisted to see what on earth could have the redhead so wound up. The flames had spread, coursing between the two of them like dark waves – but there wasn’t anything out of what seemed to be ordinary from what he could tell.

Someone coughed from the doorway. “Axel, would you mind unhanding Cloud’s kid?” Reno asked dryly, arms crossed in disapproval.

Suddenly Roxas was pulled into a tight embrace, his spine going rigid at the contact.

_What in the name of-_

“My fire turned _red_! _It changed color!”_ Axel repeated again, sounding even more thrilled than before as he crushed Roxas to him. As if saying the words out loud was somehow cementing them as truth.

Roxas couldn’t concentrate on Reno’s rebuttals after that. He could only focus on staying absolutely still to avoid any sort of careless touching of Axel’s string. Which was a challenge. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been utterly _enveloped_ in a hug like this.

 _What was Axel even thinking, pulling a stunt like this?_ Roxas’s mind demanded – not quite livid… mostly an overwhelming amount of confused.

It wasn’t even the sort of bro-hug he’d come to know from Sora as they’d fallen asleep together as kids. Axel was holding him like a lifeline. Secure and unyielding.

And just like that, Roxas’s stomach was full of blind butterflies caught in a storm. And without rhyme or reason, he simply suddenly knew:

_This was where he wanted to be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter grew to be an absolute monstrosity, forcing me to cut it off in an abrupt manor - for which I apologize. 
> 
> But 3 chapters total as a goal? Hah. hahahahaha. 
> 
> I'm hilarious. >>
> 
> Kismet Colored is now tentatively shooting for 5 chapters till completion,  
> because I can't slow burn in 20k words or less apparently... 
> 
> Watch me write another 10. 
> 
> As always, thank you kindly for reading~  
> -Lafia


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